Two Hours: The Young Bride
by Rae Kelly
Summary: Spot returns home one night with a young girl who is now his young bride. Can Brooklyn's biggest ladies man change his ways and settle down? Can Lily survive in this new and frightening place where Spot has brought her? A CONTINUATION OF TWO HOURS!
1. Default Chapter

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a continuation of the first chapter of my story "Two Hours." Please go read at least the first chapter of that story before starting this one.

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When Lily woke the next morning she quickly dressed and walked out of her room looking for a washroom. The night before Spot had told her not to leave the room he had put her in, but she really needed to use the washroom.

She wandered down the stairs and opened the first door that she came to. The room was lined to bunks, each with a sleeping boy. Blushing furiously, she backed out of the room and opened the door directly across the hall. This room was also filled with bunks of sleeping boys. She turned around and ran into Spot.

"What are you doing down here?" he demanded, grabbing her arm roughly.

"I…I…I…was looking…for the…washroom," she stuttered, blushing and looking at the floor.

Growling, he turned and drug her roughly up the stairs and into her room. "There," he yelled pointing to a door across the room and shoving her toward the door.

She stumbled into the washroom and took care of her business. When she walked back into the bedroom, he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Come here," he snapped.

She crept closer to him.

He gripped her arm tightly. "When I give an order, I expect it to be followed!" he bellowed. She gave a startled squeak when he pulled her across his lap. When he smacked her backside several times, she burst into tears. After a moment he let her go and she stumbled away from him, her hand absently going to her stinging backside. He gripped her arms and shook her. "Don't leave this room until I come get you!" he yelled.

She began sobbing loudly.

"Stop crying like a baby!" he snapped, storming from the room and slamming the door.

Lily threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in her pillow as she continued to cry. No one had ever spanked her before, not even her grandfather who had raised her.

When Spot returned to the room nearly an hour later he found that she had cried herself to sleep. He growled, "Stupid child," he muttered, leaving the room.

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Lily walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "Gran...What is a wife supposed to do?"

Gran was the owner of the lodging house where Spot and the Brooklyn newsies lived. She was a short woman with silver hair, a warm smile and a kind voice. The older woman looked at her. "A wife is supposed to take care of a home by cooking and cleaning and giving a man children. When she gives him children she takes care of them."

"Where do the children come from?" Lily asked innocently.

Gran bit her lip. "They come from storks."

"Storks?" Now Lily was really confused.

"Yes. When a woman gets pregnant, a stork delivers the baby to the parents nine months later."

"What's pregnant mean?"

"When a woman is ready to have a baby she's pregnant.

Lily sighed. "I don't understand"

"You'll understand when you're ready to have a baby."

"A girl at my school said that married people slept in the same bed...is that true?"

"Some married people do."

"Does that mean he's gonna wanna sleep in my bed?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"He might."

"And he'll just sleep in my bed?"

"No. He'll want to do his business like he does."

"What does that mean?" Lily asked, frightened.

"That he'll want you to fulfill your duties as his wife."

"What is that?"

"You'll understand…he'll come to you when he's ready."

Lily fell silent, but still had a confused look on her face. Gran turned her attention back to her dishes.

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Bored, Lily wandered into the main room and glanced at the coat rack. She remembered seeing a rip in the sleeve of Spot's coat and wanting to be helpful, she decided to mend it. She took the coat off the hook on the wall and carried it over to the rocking chair near the fireplace. Gran kept her sewing basket next to the chair.

She finished the repairs in less than ten minutes and smiled as she looked at her handiwork. Humming softly she walked back across the room and hung the coat back on the hook.

Just as she reached the coat rack Spot came down the stairs, whistling. "Thanks, kid," he said, taking the coat from her hands. As he slipped into the coat there was a horrible ripping sound as the sleeve Lily had just mended came completely off the coat. "What did you do?!" he demanded, shaking her.

"I…I just fixed the tear…" she replied.

Spot looked at the sleeve in his hand. Without warning, he raised his hand and backhanded her hard across the cheek. "You worthless fool! You sewed the sleeve closed!"

With a sob, she raised her hand to her cheek as tears filled her eyes.

"Just go upstairs to your room," he growled. "I don't want to look at you."

She turned and fled up the stairs.

When Spot returned home that evening, he found another coat hanging where his coat had always hung. A simple note was pinned to the coat. It read, _I'm sorry._

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Lily walked into the kitchen where Gran was busy preparing to bake something. She sank into a chair at the table and sighed deeply.

"What's wrong child?" Gran asked.

"He hates me, Gran."

"No he doesn't. He's just got a terrible temper, I'm afraid it runs in the family, Lily dear. He's just upset, but he doesn't hate you."

"I was just trying to be helpful Gran…"

"I know dear, we just need to work on your sewing a little more."

Lily sighed again.

"I'm making some of his favorite cookies, hoping they will improve his mood. Would you like to help?"

"Could I really? I've never cooked anything before…"

"Then it's time you learned."

Together Lily and Gran mixed up a batch of cookies and were just about to pull a tray of cookies in the oven when Spot walked in. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked, reaching around Lily to stick his finger in the cookie dough. "Gran, you spoil me."

Gran huffed. "Your wife made these, young man."

"Oh really?" he replied, sitting in a chair and propping his feet on the table. "I didn't think she could do anything without messing it up."

Lily bit her lip and turned away, determined that she wasn't going to allow the tears to fall.

"Liam!" Gran hissed.

"What? It's true. You saw what she did to my coat!"

"And she gave you a new one."

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and looked around. "What is that awful smell?"

Lily rushed over to the oven and pulled out a tray of burnt cookies.

"I told you Gran! She's worthless! She can't even earn her keep around here!" Spot yelled.

Lily burst into tears and ran from the room.

"Liam Conlon, what in the world has gotten into you!" Gran yelled. "You shouldn't have yelled at her that way!"

"She can't do anything right Gran!"

"That poor child is doing everything she can to try to please you and be a good wife!"

Spot huffed.

Gran folded her arms and looked at him. "If you expect me to finish making these cookies for you, you will march yourself right upstairs and apologize to her."

Grumbling, Spot turned and stalked from the kitchen. He stomped up the stairs and threw open the door to Lily's room. She was stretched out on the bed and he walked over, shocked to find that she had cried herself to sleep. "Fool girl," he muttered, turning and stalking from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Lily hummed softly as she made her way down the stairs and onto the second floor. She didn't notice the two boys standing in the dark hallway. Nor did she see one of them nudge the other and gesture toward her.

"Hello there, sweetheart," one of them said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but found that no sound come out.

"Cat got your tongue?" the other one asked.

"Please let me go," she finally whispered.

"Now we couldn't do a thing like that," said the taller of the two, the one with his arm around her. As he spoke, he ran his hands up and down her arms.

Lily didn't like the looks they were giving her. They made her feel dirty.

The shorter one put his hands on her waist. "You see, we don't think it fair that Conlon keeps you locked away in the attic for himself. We think he should share."

Lily tried to pull away but the taller one grabbed her by the back of her dress, ripping it. The shorter one pushed her toward the wall and she hit it with her head. Everything got fuzzy and she put her hand to her head as she slumped to the floor. She could feel them standing over her and then she heard a voice, but she couldn't understand the words. They didn't sound like English, more like the words the couple that lived in the flat next to her and her grandfather used when they were angry with each other.

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Spot stumbled drunkenly up the stairs past the bunkrooms to where his young bride's room was tucked among the eaves of the old house. Sippi had found him early that afternoon and lit into him good for the way the Brooklyn boys were treating Lily. Spot had stormed off, eager to get good and drunk. He was mad at that Southern giant for telling him what he should be doing. He was angry with his boys for the way they had acted. And he was furious with Lily for being around them in the first place.

Without knocking he flung open the door to her room. She squeaked in surprise and held her thin cotton nightgown in front of her. He slammed the door and locked it. Covering the distance between them in two easy steps, he didn't notice the tear falling slowly down her cheek. He pulled her close and kissed her roughly.

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Spot woke slowly, his head pounding. His vision was blurry as he glanced around the unfamiliar room, trying to figure out where he was. It was then that he realized that Lily was laying next to him. As he looked at her, the memories of the night before came rushing into his head. Holding his aching head, he slowly stood and began to get dressed.

As he grabbed his shirt he noticed a doll sitting on top of the dresser. He vaguely remembered seeing it the night before. Now she smiled back at him mockingly.

With a low growl, he reached out and flung the doll to the floor, her smiling face shattering. Without looking to see if Lily had woken up, he stumbled from the room, ready to drown the memories in more whiskey.

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The first thing Lily saw when she woke was the shattered doll. She slowly crawled from the bed, grabbing her thin cotton nightgown and slipping it over her shoulders. She knelt beside the broken doll, gently lifting it into her arms. Breaking down into sobs, she held the doll to her chest.

After a few moments she gently placed the broken doll in the wastebasket and walked to the small door that led to the washroom. She stopped short when she saw an auburn haired woman standing at the mirror brushing her hair.

"I'm sorry," Lily muttered, looking down.

The woman turned around. "You poor girl…" She walked over to the tub and turned on the water. She disappeared through another door and came back with some clothes in her hands. "You take a nice, long, hot bath and then put this on. It's better than that thing that you're wearing."

Lily nodded.

"When you finish go crawl in my bed and take a long nap," the woman said, breezing from the room.

Lily hesitated a moment before slipping her gown over her head and stepping into the tub.

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Rae Kelly hurried into the kitchen. "Gran…who is that girl upstairs?"

Gran looked up from the dishes that she was washing. "That's Spot's wife, Rae dear."

"Wife?! I figured she was one of Spot's conquests…"

"Rae!" Gran hissed.

"It's the truth," Rae said, leaning over the counter and snatching a hot cinnamon bun. "How old is she?"

"Not quite fifteen."

"She's just a child!"

"Keep your voice down, deary."

"You didn't approve of this, did you, Gran?"

"No, Rae, I don't approve. All I know is that he brought her here and informed me that they were married."

"It's not right, Gran and you know it!"

"I have no control over that, Rae."

Rae made a face. "I don't like this at all…"

"Rae dear…just try to make the poor girl feel welcome. Her parents are dead…her grandfather just died. She knows nothing, dear. The poor thing is still in short skirts."

Rae sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

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Rae led Lily into Gran's room and closed the door. She turned to look at the faded gray dress that Lily wore. "We have to get rid of that dress, child."

Lily looked down at her dress. It had been her grandfather's favorite. "What's wrong with the dress?"

Rae shook her head and sighed. "How old are you, honey?"

"Almost fifteen…" Lily replied, putting a finger in her mouth.

"Then it's time you stop dressing like a child…not only that, you're a married woman now. Take that horrid dress off right now."

Hesitantly Lily stripped off the dress and dropped it on the floor.

Rae nodded. "You need new undergarments as well, but that we can deal with that later…" She walked over to the closet and pulled out a box. Opening the box she pulled out a skirt and a blouse. She handed them to Lily. "Put these on."

Lily put the clothes on. The blouse was a little large, but the skirt fell to the floor. She picked it up and held it up.

Rae chuckled. "And I thought I was tiny at your age." She placed a basket on the floor next to the stool at her feet. "Step up here."

Lily did as she was told. Rae took the waistband of the skirt from the girl's hands and with a few quick tucks and a few pins had the waist fitting perfectly. Rae knelt and began pinning the hem.

"Rae…" Lily said, hesitantly.

"Yes honey?" Rae asked, not looking up from the work.

"Is Spot always grumpy and mean?"

Rae stopped and looked up at her. "He wasn't like that when we were little."

"How long have you known him?"

"All of our lives. He's my cousin."

"Really?"

"Yes honey."

"And Gran?"

"Is our grandmother. My daddy and Spot's mother were Gran's children."

"Were?"

Rae sighed sadly. "My father died about eight years ago…"

"And Spot's mother?"

"She died ten years ago. He hasn't been the same since," Rae said, standing and helping Lily out of the pinned skirt. She carried it across the room and sat in Gran's old rocking chair.

Lily drug the stool over and sat at Rae's feet. "Where do you live?"

"I live here with Gran…" Rae answered as she began to alter the skirt.

"How come I've never seen you?"

Rae smiled. "A friend of mine is a doctor and his wife is a nurse. His wife had a baby about six weeks ago, and I went to help as his nurse until she was ready to work again."

Lily looked down at her hands and was silent for several minutes.

Rae leaned over and tilted Lily's chin up. "What's wrong honey?"

"I think I'm dying…" she replied sadly.

"What makes you say that, Lily?"

Lily blushed. "Cause about two weeks ago…I was bleeding…"

Rae nodded. "I see…"

"It went away after a few days…" Lily added quickly.

Rae took a deep breath. "You aren't dying, Lily honey."

"I'm not?"

"No, sweetie. It's just part of becoming a woman."

"Will it happen again?"

"I'm afraid so."

"When?"

"Once a month. For a few days each month."


	3. Chapter 3

Rae knocked on the door to Lily's room. Spot had disappeared five months ago and she had been exhausting her connections trying to find him. She talked to Sippi who said he had seen Spot the last night he was here. Her cousin had been extremely drunk and had gone up to Lily's room that night. It hadn't taken much for her to put together the events of that night.

"Come in," Lily called sleepily.

Rae opened the door and walked in. "Are you alright honey?"

Lily yawned. "I've been so sleepy the last month or so."

Rae sat on the bed beside her. "I think we need to let out your clothes. You've been putting on some weight, little missy."

Lily stood and walked over to the mirror, looking at her reflection. "My skirts are a little snug…"

Rae's eyes narrowed as she stared at the younger girl's waistline.

Lily bit her lip and turned. "You know how you said that I would bleed a little every month…"

"Yes…"

"I haven't…"

Rae stood. "For how long?"

"Not since that first time…before Spot left…"

"Lily honey, you crawl back into bed and rest. I'm going to get Dr. Trent to come and take a look at you."

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Rae was leaning against the wall when Dr. Trent left Lily's room. "Was I right?" she asked.

He sighed and nodded. "The poor little thing is pregnant, Rae."

"Does she know?"

"No. I didn't tell her."

"Why ever not?"

"I felt it would be better coming from you or Gran."

Rae sighed. "Trent…Spot is the father…"

He nodded. "I know."

"He disappeared about five months ago and we haven't seen or heard from him since…"

"You just worry about Lily…she's awful young to be having a child."

"She's still a child herself," Rae muttered.

"Rae…" She looked at him. "I need you to take care of her. Can I trust you to do that?"

Rae sighed and nodded. "Under protest."

Once Trent left Rae slipped into Lily's room. The girl was laying on her side staring at the dresser. Rae sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

"What did Trent say, Rae?"

Rae sighed. "That you'll be fine...in about four months..."

"Why four months?"

"Well..." Rae looked across the room, "…when a woman misses her monthly...it usually means that she's gonna have a baby..."

"Where do babies come from?" Lily asked slightly embarrassed at her lack of knowledge

"Well..." Rae paused, unsure what exactly to say to her. "Sometimes when a man and a woman sleep together...something happens...and that creates a baby..."

"But I didn't want to..." she wiped away a tear. "It happened so fast...I was so scared…"

Rae pulled the girl into her arms. "You didn't do anything wrong, Lily..."

"He didn't ask Rae...he just came in and locked the door..."

Rae stroked Lily's hair. "Sippi saw him that night...he was drunk, honey."

"So now I'm gonna have a baby?"

Rae placed her hand on the slight bulge at Lily's waistline. "Your little baby is growing right here."

"Do I have to have a baby?"

"There's nothing you can do, sweetie. In about four months, you're gonna be a mother."

Lily collapsed against Rae, sobbing. "I can't be a mother, Rae…I'm just a little girl who needs a mother."


	4. Chapter 4

A very-pregnant Lily stood near Rae in the cemetery. Gran had died in her sleep a few nights before and now they were saying goodbye to a woman they all loved dearly. She tried to listen as the minister spoke, but found that she couldn't concentrate because of the pain in her swollen belly. It wasn't that bad. Usually only for a short time every few minutes or so. She had been feeling that way through most of the night.

She tried to shift her weight and gasped loudly when she felt a sudden wetness between her legs.

Rae glanced over at the girl and instantly knew what the problem was. She turned to Sippi who stood on her other side. "Beau...we've got to get Lily back now!"

"But it's too early, isn't it?" he asked.

"Tell that to the baby," she snapped, putting her arm around Lily and leading the girl from the cemetery.

Rae was sitting on the bed beside Lily, wiping the sweat from the girl's brow and talking to her in soothing tones, when Sippi stuck his head in the door nearly an hour later. "Where's Trent?" she asked, rushing over to him.

He pulled her out into the hall. "I've looked everywhere for him. I can't find him."

She cursed. "What about China?"

"The baby is sick."

"What are we gonna do?"

He took her face in his hands. "You've helped Trent deliver babies before. You can do this."

She shook her head. "Not by myself. It's too early..."

He forced her to look at him. "What do you need?"

"Someone to hold her hand...and bathe her face..."

"I can do it."

She sighed and opened her mouth to speak, when Lily cried out in the room. Rae turned and ran into the room, with Sippi on her heels.

Rae slipped from the room with a tiny bundle in her arms. She paused when she was Sippi slowly pacing the room talking softly to the baby in his arms. Twins! She never would have thought that Lily's tiny body could have handled the long hours of labor, but the young girl had done well. As soon as the second child was born, poor Lily had passed out from exhaustion.

Rae watched Sippi and smiled. He had done well helping her, holding Lily's hand, wiping her brow and whispering comforting words to the girl. Most of the words he had spoken had not been in English, but they had calmed both Lily and herself.

Trent had shown up about an hour before the first child had been born and Sippi had been promptly exiled from the room. When they had realized that there was more than one child, Rae had left the room long enough to hand the first baby, a boy, over to Sippi.

She glanced again at the tiny blanket wrapped child in her arms and sighed.

"Rae..."

She looked up to see Sippi standing beside her. "It's a girl," she whispered, "...but she's not going to make it...she's just too small..."

He wrapped his free arm around her. "Does Lily know?"

Rae shook her head. "The poor thing has passed out from exhaustion...she was in labor for nearly twenty-four hours..."

He led her to one of the couches. "You look pretty exhausted yourself, _Cherie._"

"I can't rest, Beau...I have to take care of the babies..."

They fell silent and in the quiet of the room they could hear the ragged breathing of the tiny baby girl in Rae's arms.

"How long?" he asked.

"A couple hours at the most..." She sighed as they watched Trent leave. All three knew that Rae was more than capable of taking care of things now. "I don't know how I'll tell Lily when she wakes up..."

"_We'll_ tell her."

Rae looked up at him. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's not find out. Won't you please reconsider your answer, Rae?"

She sighed. "Beau, we've been through this so many times before. I can't marry you until Spot decides to grow up and stop getting himself into trouble and expecting me to fix it."

"You and I both know that he'll never change."

She stood. "I won't change my mind, Mississippi Wayne! I promised his mother and I very well intend to keep my promise to my aunt! Unlike you I look out for my family," she snapped, turning and walking back into the room where Lily was sleeping.

Rae was rocking Lily's daughter when the tiny baby breathed her last. Lily had not yet stirred. Rae closed her eyes and held the baby close as tears fell silently down her cheeks. She had grown quite attached to this tiny baby, her niece, in the last few hours as she had cared for her.

Knowing that there was nothing else she could do, and that she must now turn her attention to her nephew and Lily, Rae adjusted the blankets around the baby and placed her gently in the crib. When she turned back around, she noticed that Lily was beginning to stir.

Rae sat beside Lily as the girl's eyes opened. "How are you feeling?"

"So tired..." Lily whispered.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I had my baby?"

Rae nodded. "Yes you did...do you remember what else happened?"

Lily rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "No..."

Rae took one of the girl's hands. "Lily, I need you to listen closely to me..."

Lily nodded. "Alright..."

"You had two babies...twins...a little boy and a little girl..."

"Two?!" Lily asked, shocked.

Rae took a deep breath and nodded. "Your son is very healthy...but your daughter..."

Lily frowned deeply. "What happened to her?"

"She's didn't make it, honey..." she replied.

Lily closed her eyes as a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Would you like to see her?" Rae asked.

Lily shook her head.

Rae sighed. "Then I'll go get your son. What are you going to name him?"

"I'll wait and ask Spot," the girl whispered, staring at the window.

Rae frowned, but went to get Lily's son.


	5. Chapter 5

Unable to sleep, Lily crawled out of bed and headed for the kitchen to warm herself some milk. Gran had often fixed some for her when she couldn't sleep. She poured some milk in a pan and set it on the stove to warm.

The sound of the back door opening startled and she whirled around suddenly. Spot was standing in the kitchen staring at her.

In a quick glance he took in her slight figure standing in the middle of the kitchen in her nightgown. "What are you doing, fool girl?! Don't you know better than to walk around in your nightgown in a house full of boys!" He stormed across the kitchen, tossing a chair out of the way, and grabbed her arm. He drug her toward the back stairs, but stopped suddenly when he heard a baby's cry coming from Gran's room. He turned and gripped both of her arms tightly. "Where did that baby come from?"

She bit her lip. "He...He's mine..."

He shook her. "Who is the father?"

Tears filled her eyes. "Y...y...you are, Spot..."

"DONT PLAY STUPID WITH ME, WHO'S IS IT!?" When Lily burst into sobs, he shoved her across the room. "Get out of my sight!" She quickly disappeared into Gran's room.

Spot turned and reached for the doorknob when he heard a faint whistle and a thunk. He glanced to the side to see a knife in the door just inches from his head. He didn't need to turn around to know who had thrown the knife, and he also knew that she hadn't missed. She was warning him.

Taking a deep breath he reached for the doorknob again, only to hear a sharp crack and feel the sting of a whip as it wrapped around his wrist. He turned slowly expecting to see Sippi at the other end of the whip, but was surprised to see Rae holding the handle, her normally clear gray eyes, stormy.

"Walk out that door Conlon and you won't live to regret it," she stated, her voice low and threatening.

With a flick of his wrist he pulled the whip from her hand and dropped it to the floor. He slowly turned and left the lodging house, leaving the door standing open behind him.

Cursing, Rae turned and went into Lily's room. The girl was sitting in the rocking chair sobbing while the baby lay in his crib crying. Rae scooped up the baby and carried him over to Lily. "Lily honey..."

Lily glanced up, sniffling. "He hates me," she sobbed.

Rae sighed. "He doesn't know what he thinks. He never has. My cousin is an idiot, pure and simple." Lily continued crying. Rae placed the baby in her arms. "Little Man is hungry. You feed him and leave Spot to me."

Sippi stumbled down the stairs when he heard pounding on the front door. "If that's Tug, he can spend the night on the porch, because I AM NOT letting him in," Sippi muttered to Rae.

When they reached the main room, Lily was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with the baby in her arms. They could tell by looking at her that she was trembling. Rae changed paths and went over to lead the girl to a seat, while Sippi went to open the door.

"You can sleep on the porch, Tristan Shamien! It's after midnight!" Sippi yelled, very upset at having been woken out of a sound sleep.

"I've got Spot...he's hurt!" Tug retorted.

"Bring him in," Sippi growled. "Rae! Grab your bag, Spot's been hurt."

Rae jumped up from where she had been sitting beside Lily and hurried across the room. She caught one look at Spot's bloodied form and cursed. "I'll be right back," she said, running up the stairs.

"What did you do to him, Tug?" Sippi demanded.

"I didn't..." Tug started to answer.

The girl at his side cut in. "He didn't do nothing! We were..."

"Raven!" Tug snapped. "Shut up!"

Sippi sent Tug a look. "Do I want to know?"

"No," Tug muttered.

"We were..." Raven started again.

"SHUT UP WOMAN!" Tug yelled at her.

"Put Spot in Lily's room and then get upstairs. I've half a mind to tell you to pack your stuff. You're on thin ice, Tug."

Raven threw up her hands. "I know...don't tell me. I'm leaving."

Sippi rolled his eyes. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but you can have the basement room for the night."

"Can Tug stay with me?"

"NO!"

Rae ran back into the room. "Come on Tug! Get him in a bed so that I can take a look at him!"

Tug hurried to follow her bidding. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, after depositing Spot in Lily's bed.

"I need some of those sheets that Gran set aside to use as bandages."

Tug nodded and left the room.

A couple hours later Rae walked back into the main room. She dropped onto a couch next to Sippi.

"How is he?" Sippi asked, holding her close. He had finally convinced her to marry him and they had gotten married the week before.

"Broken ribs, busted lip...possibly a concussion...he's knee is swollen and I'm not sure why. He'll have some nice shiners."

He looked over at Lily who had fallen asleep on the other couch. "Lily and I talked. Most of Spot's boys have left, but there are still a few here. Maybe it's time to open this place up to the girls too. With some very strict rules..."

"That's nice..." Rae muttered, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Raven will be glad for a place to live."

"She IS NOT staying here!"

"Come on, Beau...be nice to the girl."

"Fine, but if she breaks one rule, she's out and that's it!"

The first thing he noticed upon opening his eyes was his young bride sitting in a rocking chair nursing the baby. He knew now that he had been wrong in accusing her. Lily was too innocent. She gently rocked the chair as she hummed, her eyes closed.

"What did you name the child?"

Her eyes flew open.

"It's just a simple question, Lily."

"I thought it best to wait for you..."

He nodded. "Any ideas?"

"No sir."

"You don't have to say sir to me, Lily."

She hung her head.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Boy," she answered with a sniffle.

"Well bring him here...I can't see him over there..."

She stood with the child in her arms, still not looking at him. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, but cried out in pain, clutching his ribs. Lily turned and flew from the room. Spot muttered curses under his breath, cursing Lily, his ribs and anything else he could think of.

Sippi strode into the room. He roughly moved Spot into a sitting position.

"Can't you take it easy?" Spot demanded. "I've got broken ribs here!"

Sippi snorted.

Spot glared up at the Southern giant. "What is your problem?"

"That girl you happen to be cursing is not one of your many conquests. She happens to be your wife."

"I didn't mean to get her pregnant!"

"Just how many other girls in this city have you said that about, Conlon?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Someone has to try and protect your wife and the mother of your child!"

Author's Note: This fic is a story about the Gran Kelly Lodging House. You can check it out at 


	6. Chapter 6

Spot looked around the room while Lily folded clothes and put them away. "Where's Rae?" he asked. "I've been in this bed three days and she hasn't been here yet."

Lily turned around but didn't look at him. "She got arrested this morning…"

Spot cursed. "Why?"

She hesitated. "They think she tried to kill you…"

Spot laughed and stopped, wincing in pain and clutching his ribs. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. She would threaten, but she would never do it."

"They said they would let her go…" She sniffled, "if we could prove that it wasn't her…"

"But I don't know who did it, Lily! I don't remember!"

Lily sniffled again and turned away.

"Where's that baby?"

"Sleeping."

"Did you ever name him?"

She shook her head. "I was waiting on you."

"Bring him here so I can get a look at him."

She turned and walked over to the crib near the window. She picked up the baby and walked over to the edge of the bed.

"Get closer! I can't see him."

She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned close to him.

He glanced at the baby and then turned away. "Mackenzie…"

"But he's so tiny…"

"Call him Kenny then…I don't care. Now get out!"

She sighed and stood, leaving the room.

* * *

Sippi stopped abruptly when he saw two small figures huddled on the doorstep. "What do we have here?" he asked, kneeling in front of them.

"Don't touch her," the little boy said, putting his arm around the little girl, whose head rested in his lap.

"Don't you want to come inside where it's warm?"

The little boy shook his head. "Momma said to wait here for our Daddy to get us."

Sippi frowned. What kind of woman would leave her children out in this cold? "Do you know your daddy's name?"

"Momma said his name is Spot."

Sippi bit back a curse. "I can take you to him..."

The little boy's eyes narrowed. "But Momma said..."

"Your daddy hurt his leg and won't be able to come get you for a long time. You don't want her to get sick do you?"

The little boy looked down at his sleeping sister. "I think she's already sick..."

Sippi pushed back the blanket that was wrapped around the little girl and could tell just by looking at her that she was running a fever. "What's her name?" he asked, scooping the girl into his arms.

"Sally…I'm Sammy…"

Sippi nodded. "Come on, Sammy. Let's get you to your daddy." He carried the little girl into the lodging house and placed her on the couch nearest the fireplace. "Lily!" he yelled.

She rushed into the room a moment later. "What is it?" she asked.

He looked up at her from where he knelt beside the couch. "Hand Kenny to Spot and go warm up some broth. I need more blankets…and one of those thick wool nightgowns from Rae's room."

Lily looked down at her son and hesitated.

"Come on, Lily…there isn't time for you to dawdle. This little one is very sick."

Lily placed Kenny in Spot's lap before he had a chance to react and scurried from the room.

Spot stared down at the small baby in his arms. He went to move his hand, but Kenny wrapped his little hand around one of Spot's fingers. It suddenly hit him that this fragile little thing in his arms belonged to him.

The little boy that had followed Sippi into the room crept over to Spot's chair. "Can I see?" he asked.

Spot looked down and found himself looking at a miniature copy of himself. "Who are you?"

Sippi glanced over his shoulder at them. "Meet Sammy...he's your son, Conlon."

"Oh no! I don't have any kids!"

Sippi sent him a look. "You're holding one and looking at two more..."

"I don't have kids, I tell ya!"

"Sammy..." Sippi said. "What did your mommy say your daddy's name was?"

Sammy stuck his finger in his mouth, looking from one man to the other. "Spot..."

"Don't prove nothing!" Spot argued.

"Just take a look at him, Conlon. He looks just like you!"

Spot turned his head, refusing to look at the little boy by his side.

"Scared of what you might see, Conlon?"

"Spot Conlon ain't scared of nothing!"

"Then take a look!"

Growling, Spot glanced back down at the little boy. He recalled a photograph that Gran had kept on her dresser. It was a picture of his family when was about the same age as this boy. The resemblance was frightening. "Stand up straight, kid," Spot snapped, covering the shock by switching to his old role of Brooklyn leader.

Sammy stood a little taller.

"What's your name?"

"Sammy..."

"How old are you?"

Five chubby fingers came out as Sammy replied. "Five."

Spot nodded toward the blanket wrapped figure on the couch. "Who is that?"

"That's Sally...she's my sister...she's three..."

Lily hurried back into the room with three quilts and a long woolen nightgown. She handed them to Sippi and dashed into the kitchen.

"Come here, Sammy," Sippi said. The boy moved over next to him. Sippi wrapped one of the blankets around his little shoulders. "Go sit on the floor over there by your daddy." Sammy did as he was told. Sippi removed the tattered blanket from the little girl.

She whimpered.

"It's alright sweetheart," he said, softly. "These blankets are warmer," he added, dropping the nightgown over her head. He then took one of the blankets and wrapped it around her thin shoulders. He lifted her into his lap and tucked the other blanket around her. He held her close, rubbing her arms to try and get her warm.

Moments later Lily hurried into the room with a pewter mug in her hands. She handed it to Sippi, who tried to coax the little girl in his arms to drink the warm broth. The little girl soon fell into a fevered sleep.


End file.
